Method of and apparatus for smelting complex ores



3 Sheets-Sheet 1A (No Model.)

O. S. GARRETSON. METHOD of* AND APPARATUS POR SMBLTING GOMPLEX GRES.

Patented Jan. 4, 1898.

M INVENTOR- WITNESSESI @MAZAAW/A ATTORN EYS.

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(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet' 2. O. S. GARRETSON. METHOD OP ND APPARATUS PORSMELTINGGOMPLEX DRES.

Patented Jan. 4, 1898.

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WITNESSESZ INVENTOP. MLV M ATTORN EYS.

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(No Model.)

0. S. GARR'ETSON. MBTHGD o? AND APPARATUS POR SMBLTING GGMPLEX GRES. No.596,704?.

INYENTOR.

l ATTQRN EYS.

rearwardly 'from the furnace-top.

UNITED STATES- lParenti trice,

OLIVER S. GARRETSON, OF BUFFALO, NEWv YORK.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SMELTING COMPLEX CRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596, 74.7, datedJanuary 4,1898.

Application filed March 6, 1897. Serial No. 626,256. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER S. GARRETSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State ot' New York, haveinvented a new and useful lmprovement in Methods of and Apparatus forSmelting Complex Ores, of which the following is aspeciiication.

This invention relates to the smeltin'g of complex or mixed lead andcopper ores, and has for its object to separa-te the molten copper andiron compounds from the compounds of lead and similar metals andtreateach kind of compound .separately in an appropriate manner forextracting the values contained therein.

It is well known that in lead-smelting the presence of copper compoundsis objectionable, and that in such smelting the values contained in thecopper compounds cannot be protably extracted, while in copper-smelt ingthe presence of lead compounds is equally objectionable. My invention isdesigned to overcome these ditliculties and to separate and extract thevalues from both kinds of compounds at one operation in a simple andefficient manner.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of three sheets, Figure l is alongitudinal vertical section of a set of smelting and convertin g orbessemerizing furnaces embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontalsection in line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is atop plan View, partly insection. Fig. et is a vertical section of the smelting-furnace in line4t 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section, on an enlarged scale, ofone of the trunnions of the Waterjacketed furnacecover. Fig. 6 is avertical section in line G 6, Fig. 5.

Like letters of reference referto like parts in the several iigures.

A represents the primary or smelting fur nace, having a water-jacketedstack a, which is charged with ore and fuel from the charging-door a'.The latter is arranged on alevel with the upper end of the stack, at thefront side thereof, in the usual manner, as shown in Fig. 4.

B represents the uptake, which extends This top is composed of twoupright side pieces l) b, each of which is composed of a frame b andside plates h2, forming a water-jacket, and a pivoted cover C, which isalso water-jacketed. This cover is pivotally supported with its rear endabove the front end. ot" the uptake, Fig. et, and swings down betweenthe side pieces b, resting,when closed,in an inclined position, with itsfront end on the top of the stack, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. e.For charging the stack the cover is raised and suitably supported in ahorizontal position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 4. This cover is aflat hollow box or chamber composed ot a rec tangular frame c and topand bottom plates c', riveted thereto. The water. flows to and from thischamber through vertical pipes c2. Each of these pipes is stationary andprovided at its lower end with an elbow o3, Fig. 5, in which is fittedthe outer end of a horizontal pipe c4, which is secured to and projectslaterally from the cover at the rear end thereof. A stuffing-box c5connects the horizontal pipe with the elbow. The inner end of thehorizontal pipe is screwed into a passage c, which is formed in theframe c of the cover and which opens into the cavity of the latter, sovthat the water can pass from the stationary vertical pipe through thehorizontal pipe into the cavity of the cover, or vice versa, and thecover canbe swung on the horizontal pipes as trunnions. Thesetrunnien-pipes rest and turn in recesses c7, formed in the upper ends ofthe side piecesl), Fig. 6.

D represents the hearth of this furnace, and d represents the tap-holethrough which the metal is drawn oft which collects on the bottom ofthis heart-h. E represents the bessemerizing-twyers, which open abovethe bottom and below the slag-level, and E represents thesmelting-twyers, which open into the furnace above the slag-level.

In smelting in this furnace complex ores containing sulds of lead,bismuth, and similar metals, and copper and iron suliids, the moltenmetallic compounds arrange themselves on the hearth of the furnace insuperposed layers or strata in the order of their specific gravities.The metal, if any,is formed on the bottom, the next lighter compounds,which are mainly lead compounds, above the metal, the next lightercompounds, which are mainly copper and iron compounds, above the leadcompounds, and the slag at the top.

IOO

` Inithe drawings`,r1`r represents the. bottom Vstratum of metal;iinfthe `Vsrueltirig-furnace.;

' The moltenlead compoundsandltheinolten. copper and` iron compoundsilow separately= :froin'thesmelting-furnace into bessemer-izing orconvertingfurnacesA arranged on opposite.-

p J represents the furnace foribessemerizing Y the copper matte,arranged on one side of the.

sides of the-smelting-furnace.

' smelting-furnaceA. i'llhisfurnace'communil cates with the`snie'ltiiig-turn ace nya passageY 33, formedrin the adjacent sidewalls'of these furnaces-in such'manner thatthe' lead .corn-3 5 :pounds =areexcluded from :this passage While the copper. and ii-onf rcompounds f or1 mattesi furnace into the 'eopper-bessemerizin -furipassage-jisarrangedabove: the level of the 1 stratum Goirrlead compounds in the'smeltingfurnace and lbelow the. slag-level', asshownfiu.

above'the slag-level, so thatthe slag formed.

f through this passage in to the smelting-furl :The copper-bessemerizing f. furnace hask7 above hearth-azstaclejf1,whiclrpreferably tapers'upwardly andi vis filled with acolumn of linx, such fas' quartz, diorite, Sor otherr sili-l @sionsmaterial suitable forforminfga huid slag with .ther ironoxid; VThe topof this furnace 1 nace andthefexcessof gases .can pass through f thispassage 'above the' slag fronone tu rnaee to the other.

` consistscf side pieoesj2 andy a pivoted cover constructed like thecorresponding parts of the top of the snielting-furnace.

j# represents the uptake of the copper-bessemerizing furnace, and (7'5the bessemerizingtwyers of the same.

K represents a settling-well, and L a bessemerizing-furnace in which thelead coinarranged adjacent to the furnace A and communicates therewithby a passage 7o, formed in the adjacent side walls of this furnace andthe settling-well in such manner that the. lead compounds, the copperand iron coinsage from the smelting-furnace into the settling-well. Thelatter is provided with a slagspout 71;', (shown in dotted lines in Fig.l and in full linesin Fig. 2,) a tap-hole k2 for drawing off the metal,and preferably with auxiliaryA tap-holes 7a3 7o* at greater heightsabove the bottom of the hearth 705 for drawing samples of the differentcompounds. This settling-Well is provided above its hearth with anupwardlytapering water-jacketed stack m and has a top composed of sidepieces m and a pivoted cover m2 and an uptake m3. These parts are inconstruction and arrangement like the corresponding parts of thematte-bessemeriz'- Y charge of ore and fuel. ore contains mainly sulfldsand other combijnations of bismuth, lead, copper, and iron, the moltenmass which collects on the hearth will become gradually enriched by thebesl semerzng-blast burning out sulfur. This increases the difference ingravity between the .ingfurnace al. The lower portion of the stack f is,preferably provided.abovefithe `slag-levelE with twyers m4.' The stackr`of this furnace f is preferably charged with; charcoal or similar.

fuel, which acts as a iilterfin intercepting I particles ofinatte'ormetal which may; -iioating inthe slag and. also. to someVextent operates to .reduce lnetallicoxida f 1 The Llead-hesseinerizingfurnace Lisar- ,ranged ontheouter side of'thesettling-well c f .K r:andcommunicates with the latter Vby a pas sagehformedin the ladjacerntsidewalls at. isucha heightabovethe bottom thatonly ther y c l leadcompounds canowthroufgh this passage g l. lfromV the settling-Well lil.to the lead-besse- .merizing'urnaceli, while the lightercopper=v t 1kand iron'conrpounds, whichoncupyahigher*. devel,- are `prewaitedfromentering, this pas- LsageixThis .lead-bessernerizing furnace vis y .lprovided above'its hearthiwithran upwardly l.' tapering water-jacketedstack ,n .and a topl rwhich is composed of sidepieees andl apivotedcoverf 'ai and eommunicateswiththe up.-i

takeMS, all ofwhich partsare constructed 'and .f

'settling-well. Y

f fo representsthe 'slagspout of' the furnace; Lf which is :fittedagainstpthfe '-outersideof an .f opening e" in the: sidewall oftheiurnace and :1. g Vmade vertioallyadjustable in a wells-known Y.

`manner,so'fthat .the spout can be adjusted to. Y

1 the slag-level whichis maintained lin this f urf nace; Prepresentsthe.hessemerining-twyersi fof this furnace, which: open 1 immediatelyahovethe bottom; of :thehearithpf thereof..j This bottom isiarrangedslightly. higherthan w .l

the bottom 21:5 of the settling-well liso, thatl the, metal which isdeposited 'on` the bottom js, which are water-jacketed and otherwise pflows through the passage Z upon th-e bottom of the settling-well, fromwhich it is drawn off through the tap-hole k2.

The slag-spout la of the settling-well is arrranged at a slightly-higherlevel than the slag-level in the smelting-furnace, as shown in Fig.r l,to adjust the spout. to. the slag-level which is maintained in thesettling-Well and pounds are treated. The settling-well K is which isproportionately higher than in the lsmelting-furnace by reason of theair-pressure which is maintained in the latter, because the blast cannotfreely escape through the stack of the furnace, which is filled with y acolumn of ore and fuel.

pounds, and the slag flow through this pas- The smelting-furnace is keptfilled with a Assuming that -the sulfids and other compounds of lead andsimilar metalsuch as bismuth, antimony, tin,

dac-and the iron and copper mattes, which I are specifically lighterthan the lead compounds. The lead compounds may consist mainly ofsulfids, but may also contain arsenids and antimonids and other combina-Lsg IIO

' 'seaterV s4 tions of these metals, according1 to the composition ofthe ores used, and when arsenids arepresent in suiiicient quantity theymay forma distinct layer, which will take its place below the layerconsisting mainly of lead sullid, as it is specifi cally heavier. ninth,probably mixed with some lead and other similar metals, being theheaviest ingredient, will form the lowest layer F, lead compounds,probably containing some bismuth and other metals, the next higher layerG, the iron and copper mattes the next higher layer H, and the slag thetop layer I. The deposited metal is drawn off from time to time throughthe tap-hole d. The lead compounds and the copper and iron mattes flowthrough the passage il; into the settling-Well K. The lead compoundspass from the settling-Well into the lead-bessemerizing furnace L, whichis also filled with charcoal or other fuel and `where thebessemerizing-blast causes the gradual enrichment-of these compounds andthe separation of metallic lead, probably mixed with some lbismuth andother similar metals. This molten metal flows back into thesettling-Well, Where it is joined by such metal as is deposited therein,and this layer of Vm etal F', in which leadusuall y preponderates, isdrawn ed through the tap-hole of the settling-Well.

The iron and copper mattes pass from the smeltingfnrnace into thecopper-bessemerizing furnace J and are there subjected to thebessemeriZing-blast underneath the column of iux or silica which iscontained in the stack of that furnace. The copper and other metalscombined therewith are deposited on the hearth of that furnace in alayer F2 and are drawn off from time to time through the tap-hole d. Theiron oxid combines with the silica and forms therewith a iiuid slag,which flows into the smelting-furnace. This slag encounters in thelatter the sulfur and poor sulfids, whereby the values contained in theslag are intercepted and returned to the inattes. The impoverished slagthen passes into the settling-Well, from which it is discharged.Comparativelylittle slag isformed in the lead-bessemerizing furnace L,and the slag there formed is discharged through the slag-spout of thatfurnace. In this manner the molten iron and copper mattes and the moltenlead and similar compounds are separated and each is treated in anappropriate manner, the lead and similar compounds in the absence of asilicious flux, which would cause a loss of lead in the form of leadsilicate, and the iron and copper mattes with a silicious flux whichcombines with the iron oxid and forms therewith a fluid slag, which isreadily discharged and which can be caused to flow through thesmelting-furnace in order to extract the values whichv may be containedin the slag. The bessemerizing of the separated ingredients proceedssimultaneously and While the smelting is going on, and the reheatin g ofthe products of the operation of Metallic bis' smelting is therebyavoided, rendering the process simple, continuous, and economical.Low-grade mattes and otherf urnace products may be smelted in the sameway, and I do not Wish to limit myself to the smelting of ores, but Wishto include the smelting of such metallic combinations.

l claim as my inventionl. Theherein-described continuous method ofsmelting complex ores or furnace products which consists in smelting theore or furnace product, permitting the stratification of the molten massaccording to the different densities of the ingredients, causingsuperposed layers of `different ingredients to dow separately andcontinuously into bessemerizingfurnaces, and bessemerizing suchingredients separately, substantially as set forth.

2. The herein-described contin nous method of smelting complex ores orfurnace products containing lead compounds and iron and coppercompounds, which consists in smelting the ore or furnace product,bessemerizing the molten mass and permitting the stratification thereofaccording to the different densities of the ingredients, causing thesuperposed layers of lead compounds and of iron and copper mattestoflouT separately and continuously into bessemerizing-furnaces,bessemerizing the iron and copper mattes underneath a column of flux,and bessemerizing the lead compounds separately, substantially as setforth.

3. The combination With a smelting-furnace, of bessemeriZing-furnaceshaving their hearths communicating with the hearth of thesmelting-furnace by separate passages arranged at different levels,through Which the layers of the molten mass collecting on the hearth ofthe smelting-furnace according to their densities flow separately tosaid bessemerizing-furnaces, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a smelting-f urnace, of a matte-bessemerizingfurnace having its hearth communicating with that of thesmelting-furnace by a matte-passage, and a lead-bessemerizing furnacehaving its hearth communicating with that of the smelting-furnace by apassage which has its top arranged lower than the bottom of thematte-passage, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a smelting-furnace, of a matte-bessemerizingfurnace havin g its hearth communicating with that of thesmelting-furnace by a matte-passage, a settling-Well having its hearthcommunicating With that of the smelting-furnace, and a leadbessemerizingfurnace communicating with the settling-Well by a passage which has itstop arranged lower than the bottom of the matte-passage, substantiallyas set forth.

6. The combination with a smelting-furnace, of a settling-Well havingits hearth communicating With that of the smelting-furnaoe, and abessemerizing-fnrnace having its hearth communicating with that of thesettling-Well and having its hearth arranged higher than IOO IIO

that of the settling-Well, whereby the molten metal which is depositedin the bessemerizing-furnace is caused to ow back into thesettling-Well, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with a metallurgical furnace, of a top composedofwater-jaeketed side pieces and a pivoted. cover arranged between theseside pieces and composed of a

